Not only did Murkowski and Collins join McCain in voting against the Health Care Freedom Act, they were also the only two Republicans to vote against a motion to proceed on ACA repeal efforts earlier in the week. And they did so, despite men in their own party, in the White House, and on the internet openly threatening them. To sum it up: yet again, women in the Senate nevertheless persisted.

Murkowski and Collins did the same job as McCain, facing twice the hostility for half the credit

And it’s Sen. Murkowski, who represents the deep-red state of Alaska, who arguably has the most to lose from breaking with her party, especially because she has consistently expressed opposition this year to legislation that would “defund” Planned Parenthood. (Sen. Collins represents the much bluer state of Maine.)

Don’t forget about the two women senators, who were there from the beginning.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Senators Murkowski and Collins

“My vote yesterday was from my heart for the people that I represent. And I’m gonna continue working hard for Alaskans and just focus on that,” she told a reporter who stopped her in the hall to ask about Trump’s tweet: “I have to focus on my job. I have to focus on what I came here to do.”

To an extent, McCain’s surprising and deciding vote has overshadowed the political risks Murkowski and Collins took in standing with their values and their constituents ― even among Democrats in the Senate. Luckily, other women senators have their back.

HuffPost’s Igor Bobic was at the Senate just after Friday’s early morning vote. After the vote, Democrats expressed relief over the bill’s failure. They also sang the praises of McCain.

Asked whether the Arizona Republican was possibly the only senator, given his long, bipartisan record, who could have bucked his party at such a moment, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) agreed.

“Given his stature, his remarks at the beginning when he came in, it moved everyone,” he said. “And I think that helped. He’s a hero. He’s a hero of mine.”